1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for prevention and treatment of intestinal disease and constipation. More specifically, the present invention provides the composition essentially comprising extracts of radish and tea leaf and additionally comprising an extract extracted from crude drug selected from the group consisting of Daucus carota var sativa, Aurantii nobilis Pericapium, Aurantii immatri Pericarpium, Ficus carica L., Allium cepa L., Mume Fructus and Prunus armeniaca and the process for preparing them.
2. Background
Recently, the number of patient suffering from constipation has been increased with modem high fat and high protein meal pattern and the syndrome of constipation is characterized in anorexia, skin aging, headache, acne, skin rash, hemorrhoids, colon cancer, which are caused by absorbed toxic substance exuded from feces not yet discharged through intestinal peristaltic movement. It has been reported that constipation is caused by weak peristaltic movement or defecation reflex leading to hindrance in propagation, and the criteria for judging constipation is in case that the number of bowel movement is less than twice a week and the mass of feces is less than 35 g.
There have been tried to alleviate constipation or to stimulate peristaltic movement by using therapeutic method such as exercise as a first choice and various drug such as herbal laxative containing anthraquinone derivatives isolated from senna folium, rhei rhizoma (Rheum undulatum) and the like or food such as dietary fiber as a second choice till now. However, the laxative drug has limit such as the caution not to be administered everyday or during the pregnancy because of its high irritancy.
Common functional food material for improving constipation have been manufactured by using dietary fiber, sea tangle (Laminaria japonica), yakon, Saururus chinensis, tea of Cassia tora seed, tea of Malva verticillata seed, aloe, sea weed and so on, however, the efficacy of those have not been substantiated scientifically yet till now.
Intestinal disease includes chronic/acute gastroenteritis and food poisoning caused by bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and the like.
In particular, Salmonella typhimurium DT104 has been reported to show multiple antimicrobial resistance against several antibiotics such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamides and tetracycline. Such an antibiotic-resistance bacteria makes it difficult to treat infectious disease, and propagates the antibiotic resistant-gene to other bacteria through transformation. Furthermore, Salmonella typhimurium DT104 having additional resistance to trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin was reported in England.
Recently, Escherichia coli O157:H7 broke out mass food poisoning in U.S. and Japan accompanying hemolytic uremia and hemolytic colitis in patients.
There have been lots of trial to investigate effective drug or health food to treat or alleviate constipation and to regulate intestinal microflora from natural products till now.
It has been reported that Raphanus sativus L. and Brassia Lap. belonged to Cruciferae, contains glucose, fructose, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, phenylpyruvic acid, gentidin acid, hydroxy benzoic acid and several amino acids in the radix thereof and the alcoholic extract of the radix shows anti-microbial and anti-fungal activity (Chung. B. S. and Shin M. K.; HyanghakDaeSaJeon, Youngrim Press, pp 582-584, 1998).
It has been reported that the young tender leave of Camellia sinensis belonged to Theaceae contains 1-5% purine alkaloid and caffeine besides theobrornine, theophylline and xanthine. Most of tannin in tea leaf is galloyl-l-epigallocatechol together with several amount of caffeine, which shows the antibiotic and vitamin P-like activity, CNS excitation, momory enhancing activity, vasodilatory and diuretic activity due to xanthine derivatives such as caffeine and theophylline (Chung. B. S. and Shin M. K.; HyanghakDaeSaJeon, Youngrim Press, pp 403-405, 1998). The young leaves of Camellia sinensis may be processed as various teas such as black tea, oolong tea, Tien-Guan-In tea, Boe-Jong tea, green tea according to their respective processes, for example, post-fermentation, fermentation, half-fermentation, non-fermentation and the like.
Daucus carota L. var. sativa DC. belonged to Umbelliferae contains various carotenoids such as α-, β-, γ-, ε-carotene, lycopene, phytofluene, and vitamin B1, B2 and anthocyanidin etc, which has been used to strengthen the internal organs such as heart, stomach and spleen, and to treat dyspepsia.
Aurantii nobilis Pericapium is a dried peel of mature fruit of Citrus unshiu MARCOR. belonged to Rutaceae, while Aurantii immatri Pericapium is a dried peel of immature one and contain limonene, flavonoid glycoside, hesperidin, citric acid, naringin, aspartic acid and so on. It has been known to show the strengthening activity of the internal organs such as heart, stomach and spleen, the dyspepsia-treating activity, antitussive activity, and type I anti-allergic activity.
The fruit of Ficus carica L belonged to Moraceae, contains approximately 10% saccharides such as glucose, fructose and the like, organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid, benzaldehyde, various enzymes such as ficin, lipase, amylase and oxydase, fiber and protein. It has been used for treating hypogalactia, anorexia and detoxifying agent.
Allium cepa L. belonged to Liliaceae, contains thiol, dimethyl disulfide, dially-disulfide and dially thioether, thiosulfinic acid salt and malic acid, of which root and leaf contain coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and sinapic acid and have pharmacological activity such as lowering blood cholesterol and decreasing fibrin solubility.
Mume Fructus, a steamed and dried immature fruit of Prunus mume belonged to Amygdalaceae contains citric acid, malic acid, sitosterol and oleanolic acid, and shows anti-bacterial, anti-fungal activity and detoxifying activity.
A fruit of Prunus armeniaca L. belonged to Amygdalaceae contains citric acid, β-carotene and essential oil such as myrcene, limonene, p-cymene and terpinolene and it is reported that it has been used for treating asthma, bronchitis and acute hepatitis.
There have been several reports on above described herbs or crude drug.
For example, Raphanus sativus showed anti-cancer activity (Adv. Exp. Med. Biol., 289, pp 153-163, 1991; Am. J. Epidemiol., 144, pp 1015-1025, 1996) and liver detoxificating activity (Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 59, pp 1882-1886, 1995; Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 316, pp 797-802, 1995).
Korea patent publication No. 180452 discloses the health nutrient composition for improving constipation and scavenging feces smell comprising Aloe arborescens, a seed extract of Cassia tora, a seed extract of Malva verticillata and green tea leaves.
Korea patent publication No. 149389 discloses crude drug composition comprising dried mandarin orange peel, ginseng, fruit of Schizandra chinensis, alum, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, seed of apricot and fruit of Lycium chinensis for treating constipation.
U.S patent application Ser. No. 2002-0068097 discloses a composition consisting essentially of extracts of Paeonia lactiflora, Atractylodes macrocephala, Citrus reticulata and Saposhnikovia divaricata for treatment of bowel disorders.
The disclosures of which above cited literatures or patents is incorporated herein by reference.
The inventors of the present invention have intensively carried out the scientific investigation concerning pharmacological effects and its mechanism of action, in particular a treating activity of intestinal disease and constipation or inhibiting activity of intestinal microbial growth.
As a result of the investigation, the inventors have discovered that the inventive extract of crude drug combination shows novel pharmacological effects, especially, its treating or alleviating activity for intestinal disease or constipation confirmed by various in vitro, in vivo and clinical experiments and they have finally completed the present invention.